Reply With QuoteAfter Jordan's article, and reading all the discussion surrounding it, I can safely say I am totally confused as to what would be good intermediate programming at this point. Do I need intensity sets??? Volume at 80% one rep max? 70%? Fuck.
Member
Today:
Really good day in the gym.
Squat:
385x1 - Felt really easy, so I decided to step it up.
405x1 - @9 - This felt like I could have easily done a double, maybe more even...
325x5x5 - Felt too easy
SGDL:
-185x1x6
-185x1x5
-These are brutally hard. If I have "weak spots" in my deadlift (back and getting into position), this seems to be more helpful than the RDLs maybe. Surprisingly I found it pretty easy to get into position: with my arms out so far, I was able to really push my knees out which helped a lot.
Really happy with my squat. If you take my e1RM seriously, then based on today, I'm in the same territory as before my layoff - bench and squat at around similar numbers, and my deadlift fucked and working it's way out of the hole. I guess I have some programming decisions to make now... Do I want to keep up what I'm doing, or go back to more conventional programming? Maybe a mix of the two - I feel like fucking around has taught me a bit at least. Some thoughts:
-I want intensity sets back. Probably rotating triples doubles and singles for the bench press since I doubt I can increase it very linearly at this point. I might try running my squat up linearly. I'm scheduled for tactical training at the end of June, so I can probably hit some PRs before then...
-Kind of want to increase the frequency ("slots") of all the lifts, so might go like this:
-Day 1 - Bench Volume
-Day 2 - Squat Volume and pull accessory
-Day 3 - light day squat (front squats?), bench accessory, press, back extensions????
-Day 4 - Bench and Squat intensity, Deadlifts
Just not sure I can fit all that in the time I have to work out...
-As far as RPE, not sure how it would fit. At the very least I feel like fucking around with it has helped me appreciate the relationship between 1RMs and other rep schemes, especially appropriate volume.
Member
After Jordan's article, and reading all the discussion surrounding it, I can safely say I am totally confused as to what would be good intermediate programming at this point. Do I need intensity sets??? Volume at 80% one rep max? 70%? Fuck.
Member
Paused bench:
-203.5 @some RPE or some shit
-186x4x4
Press:
155x1 @8
160x1 @8.5
165x1 @9
170x1 @10
135x3x5
Press was a PR. Once again I decided to hit a max single because I can't help fucking around. 155 felt so light that I wanted to see what I could hit.
Also I've been recording all of my work as setsXreps, but I'm not sure if that's the regular convention. I've seen both ways.
Member
Deadlift:
352x1 - Felt good and video looked good. So I figured, hey, why not bump it up 30lbs for no reason?
385x1 - Really easy to lift off the floor, but my back was like a terrified cat. Fuck. Anyways seems to be improving at least.
305x3x5
I adjusted my stance a bit based on how the SGDL felt: pointed toes out more, and wider grip so I could shoot my knees out better. Felt and looked much better. Deadlift is going to be fixed, I swear it.
Front squats:
195x3x7
I was looking through my old posts and thinking a bit about what I was doing before, and having learned a bit about RPE and now to consider volume as a percentage or your 1RM I think I was really overdoing it on volume. Trying to squat 370x5x5 when my intensity was 430x1 or so seems really excessive. I guess I was making the common mistake of trying to progress volume day linearly forever.
Member
I would recommend firstOriginally Posted by brettj
1. Reestablishing your goals
2. Figuring out what you like (this has to be fun after all)
3. Deciding on a program and sticking with it for a while.
You should consider reading Justin Lascek's ebooks on the Texas method (if you decide to go there again)
I personally use the high/low weekly organization with the Texas method template. I don't like RPE but I'm going to loosely use it on intensity days to make sure that my volume is relatively inbetween 70-80% of my 1RM.
I use HRV to measure my gross recovery capability and use that to dictate if I'm doing enough volume.
I haven't transitioned all the way to TM just yet. But excited to get on this board with the rest of you.
Member
Sounds sensible... Never read Lascek's books - I know he was associated with SS stuff for a while though?
Right now I'm quite split on either just doing a 4-day TM, or actually trying Jordan's general template on his site. Jordan's a smart fucking cookie on a pretty much everything he writes about...
Member
You can't go wrong with Jordan.
If you were to go TM why would you go to the 4 day?
Member
Common criticisms around here of the classic 3 day method - in Jordan's recent critique and programming threads - are generally that volume day is totally fucking brutal and that pulling and pressing volume and frequency aren't very good. This was pretty much exactly my experience trying to run it. I really quickly had to split volume day in half and do it over two days because I did not have the time or energy to get through it. My squat did pretty well, but my deadlift and presses started to lag behind (although they were never as good as my squat to begin with). That said, I also made some pretty common mistakes like trying to increase volume day too aggressively.
The 4 day versions seem to solve alot of these problems, and get better reviews around here. Anyways, I'm going a different direction as detailed in my next post...
Member
Okay, I've made a plan:
Where I'm at:
After 2 months layoff, and one month back fucking around and training, I'd say I'm about where I was at the end of last December before my wedding and new position at work took over my life:
-Squat at approximately 430 1RM (this is my best PR and extrapolating my recent intensity sets, about where I am back at.)
-Bench at appoximately 250 1RM (same as for squat)
-Press at 170x1
-Deadlift at FUCKED (PR 445x1 with horrible form, and currently the best I've done with decent form is around 350)
Today is April 4th, and I have 2 weeks of tactical training beginning at the end of June sometime, which gives me around 10-11 weeks of solid training before a bit of a hiccup.
The Plan:
I'm going to give Jordan's intermediate template a shot. Despite seeming like a cocky asshole often, he is probably the thinker around here I respect the most. His recent program critique of TM, HLM and 531 was really good and seems to jive with my own experience. TBAB is probably the most useful thing I read regarding weightlifting other than Starting Strength. Also I'm sick of the TM, so I'm going to try something new.
I'm going to make a couple of small modifications, but otherwise try to run it fairly close to as written. First, I am going to do SGDLs instead of RDLs because I hate RDLs and like SGDLs. Second, I am not going to rely as heavily on RPE as the program calls for because I don't think I'm experienced enough to really do it properly. I'm going to use it as a guideline for my starting weights, and try to rate RPE to get used to it, but I'm not going to drastically change things day to day based on my RPE assessment.
The Program:
Day 1 (Tuesday):
Squat:
-x1 at RPE 8 (starting weight 385)
-3 to 5 sets of 5 reps at RPE 8 (starting weight 315)
2 count paused bench
-3 to 4 sets of 4 at RPE 9 (starting weight 185)
SGDL
-3 to 4 sets of 7 at RPE 8 (starting weight 175)
Day 2 (Thursday)
Competition Bench
-x1 at RPE 8 (starting weight 220)
-4 to 6 sets of 5 at RPE 8 (starting weight 190)
2 count paused squat
-3 to 4 sets of 4 at RPE 9 (starting weight 295)
Press
-4 sets of 7 reps at 8RPE (starting weight 125)
Day 3 (Saturday)
Deadlift
x1 at RPE 8 (starting weight 360)
-3 to 5 sets of 5 at 8 RPE (starting weight 295)
TnG Bench
-3 to 4 sets of 4 at 9 RPE (starting weight 205)
Front Squat
-4 sets of 7 reps at 8 RPE (starting weight 195)
Optional day
-light cardio
-chin ups
Progression
Going to try to increase working weights weekly by 2.5-10 pounds and test 1RM after 5 weeks. This should give me two 5 week training blocks to try this out.
Anyways, long post, but fuck you this is my blog I'll waste all the internet space I want.
Member
Today:
Squat:
-385x1 (seemed like an 8 RPE
-330x5
-315x3x5
Paused Bench:
-185x4x4
SGDL:
-175x3x7
Posting Permissions